It’s always fun to chat with fellow Kimani Romance authors, so I was delighted when Michelle Monkou agreed to be in the hot seat. She took time out to talk about her latest release IF I HAD YOU and what she plans for the future.
The Book
IF I HAD YOU
Harlequin Kimani
ISBN: 0373862512
ISBN/13: 9780373862511
There’s nothing like mixing business with pleasure…
Entertainment mogul Brent Thatcher is a star-maker who knows talent when he sees it. And one thing he knows is that dedicated PR agent Charisse Sanford is the real thing. The workaholic millionaire wants the sultry beauty sharing his glamorous life… even if an intimate relationship is strictly taboo.
Charisse is stunned when her start-up publicity firm wins the coveted bid for one of Brent’s overnight music sensations. She knows that Brent is the best in the business, and she’s not about to jeopardize her rising star. Until she gives in to her desire for the charismatic entrepreneur…. Will their forbidden passion launch their love to the top of the charts?
The Questions
1. What’s your favorite scene in “If I Had You”?
I always like the first meeting between the hero and heroine. It’s the match that ignites the story and sends the reader on the journey to their self-discovery and mutual love. Charisse Sanford is a hardworking publicist who needs work to keep a float. Brent Thatcher is an entertainment lawyer who has his own talent agency ready to manage the next upcoming artists. The perfect client, the perfect business partnership, the perfect chemistry are important for both. That initial meeting at a restaurant in New York City will set the expectations.
2. You’re the creator of the “Ladies of Distinction” series and are now
part of the “Kimani Hotties” series. What do you enjoy about writing
series?
Series isn’t as easy as it looks. For authors who have wonderful series like Brenda Jackson, Celeste O. 
Norfleet, Maureen Smith, and many more, they make it seem effortless. I’m still a rookie at it. I do like thinking about my characters long after they have had their center stage. The key is to remember all those finer details about their lives. Under the Kimani imprint, I wrote the Masterson family series and the Ladies of Distinction sorority series. The Millionaire Men — two of which have been part of the Kimani Hotties — are my current favorite because they are individual stories with brief cameos of the next hero or heroine.
3. Are there any characters you want to revisit?
There are two series that I never finished under the BET Books imprint: Pemberton Brothers (Making Promises was the first book) and the Glenn Knolls series (Finders Keepers, Island Rendezvous). I do plan to finish those up as e-books. There may be other wrap up of series, but those two are the ones that I particularly am obsessed with finishing up.
Bonus Questions
4. You started out writing contemporary single title romances. Do you have
any plans of returning to that in the future?
I definitely want to continue writing single titles. Back in the day, most writers started through the category (shorter romance) style of romance fiction. The African American authors, for the most part, started as single title authors. I loved the full bodied stories with a full cast of primary and secondary characters, along with several plots interwoven for a richer book. The shorter romance took some discipline to bring the lens to focus just on those two characters and to cut the extraneous material. As a writer these days, you have to be flexible and be able to adapt to market conditions.
5. What’s next for you?
Well, it’s been a busy year and promises to get even busier. I have the rights to my first and second book, so I’m working on revising and getting them ready for an e-launch. If I Had You came out in March and I’ll have Racing Hearts about a race car driver in December 2012. I’m also currently working on my 2013 millionaire man book. Proposals are out at the publishers. I have new stories lined up for the e-platform. Writing is in my blood and I hope to continue for many more years.
Find out more about Michelle and her work on her website.